Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military group, has denied a report from The Washington Post that he had offered to share Russian Army positions with Ukraine in exchange for a withdrawal of Kyiv’s forces from the area. In an audio statement published on Monday, Prigozhin called the report “speculation” and a “hoax”.
Dmitri S. Peskov, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, said that the report “looks like another hoax”. Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence service, said that Ukraine should “discuss such things when it is necessary and in line with Ukraine’s national interests”.
The Wagner group has been a driving force behind Russia’s monthslong battle to take Bakhmut, which has cost thousands of lives on both sides and reduced much of the city to rubble. Despite openly feuding with top Russian officials, Mr. Prigozhin has been careful not to criticize President Vladimir V. Putin.